Matt Damon co-writing a book on access to clean water

NEW YORK » Matt Damon has some big-name endorsers for a book he has out March 1 about access to safe water.

Former President Bill Clinton and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus are among those providing blurbs for “The Worth of Water,” which the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker worked on with civil and environmental engineer Gary White.

Damon has been a prominent spokesman for water sanitation since visiting Zambia in 2006, and with White founded the nonprofits Water.org and WaterEquity.

Damon and White met at a Clinton Global Initiative gathering in 2008.

“We’re excited to have written this book together, and we can’t wait to share the story of what happens when a movie actor and a civil engineer team up to try and take on the global water crisis — the stumbles and obstacles, the breakthroughs and big gains, and the incredible people we met along the way,” Damon and White said in a statement Tuesday.

“Our journey has proved two things: one, solving the water crisis is possible — within our lifetimes,” he said. “And two, the key is unleashing the incredible determination and resourcefulness of the people who are fighting every day for essentials like safe water and sanitation.”

According to the book’s publisher, the

Penguin Random House imprint Portfolio, “The Worth of Water” will illuminate “the challenges of building and scaling marketbased financial solutions to make clean water and sanitation more accessible.

And ultimately, it’s the story of how communities and individuals can be empowered to make long-lasting investments in their own well-being.”